Last Updated on 20 February 2022 by Lily
I Wish I had Known Before Coming to Holland
My last post was about βWhat I Love About Utrechtβ. Today I am going to share 3 things you should know before moving to the Netherlands which I wish I had known before coming to Holland. Because I had to learn a hard way. If you are thinking to move to the Netherlands, read here so that you can prepare properly. Let me tell you my experiences.
#1 Visa Card doesnβt Work Most of the Places
First things first, Visa card is often not working in places like supermarkets or small shops. I was surprised about this. In the beginning, I had to cash out every time I go to the supermarket. Weirdly it works in the station though when you get tickets. So what works then? You need to get a maestro card in order to live smoothly in the Netherlands. Here is a little tricky thing. To open a bank account, you will need to get a BSN number from the city you move in and in order to get this number, you have to find a house first and get a contract (This was my case, so you should double-check from the official site). So in the beginning, you may probably need to cash out constantly as I did. However, there is a great solution. There is an online bank called Bunq which allows you to submit BSN number later on. So you can use it as soon as open an account. This one saved me a lot of money since I do not like cash out big amounts so I had to constantly pay fees for cashing out from ATM. Here is a link if you want to open an account. If you use my link, they will plant 10 trees each!Β
#2 Payment System for Online is βUniqueβ
The payment system for online is quite different as well. There is an online banking payment system called βidealβ which you can make online payments by using the mobile banking app or the online banking environment of your own bank. I actually like this system. It is very easy to use. However, there is a problem. This system is only working for Dutch websites for Dutch banks. And this is my case so I am not sure about other banks, but I have an ING bank account and the card does not have the usual card number or expiry date. So I am not able to use it for international payment. Luckily, Bunq offers a master card/travel card so that you can pay international payments as well as ideal payment. Another alternative for international payment is that you can check N26 out. It is German online banking. Very similar to Bunq. As I mentioned above, I did not know that ING card cannot use for international online payment so I had to switch to N26 and I am loving it.Β
#3 House Hunting is High Competition
I actually knew this before moving to the Netherlands and I was like I have experience in London so itβs gonna be okay. But it is quite hard to find a place it matches your desire. I contacted so many people and agencies when I was looking for a house. If you get to view a house or flat, it is very lucky because not always you get to go viewing. And in viewing, you are not the only one who comes to the house, you will see many people behind you. So to get to choose,Β you have to introduce yourself well to the owners or agency like how tidy youβll be, how respectful you are or things like that. I am going to say this from my experience, I recommend using an agency. Because letβs be honest, you wonβt always find a genuinely good landlord. Donβt get me wrong, there are good ones too. But you know in general and from my experience.Β
Final Thoughts on 3 Things You Should Know Before Moving to the Netherlands
Itβs been only 4 months since I moved to the Netherlands so there will be more things in the future, so I will keep updated if there is anything more. I hope this β3 things you should know before moving to the Netherlandsβ article helps you to prepare properly!
Thank you for reading!
Related Netherlands Life Articles:
β’ What I Love About Utrecht After Living for 3 Months
